EVERHART FAMILY OF MARYLAND

My mother, Nan Musselman Everhart, started by telling me stories of
various family members. After her death in 1994 I went further to research
the information. I now have a fairly complete story (but still being verified)
of the Everharts in Manchester and Frederick, Maryland. --- SPECIAL NOTE: August 9, 2005 (Tuesday) marks the 90th Birthday Anniversary of Nan Everhart Kershaw *** presented
by Alice L. Luckhardt

NOTE:
Nan Everhart Kershaw had four children (I am the oldest). Her brother,
David, had no children.

BRIEF LIFE STORY ON SEVERAL EVERHARTS:

PAULUS
EBERHARDT/EVERHART arrived in America on October 20, 1744 on the
ship "Phoenix" under Capt. William Wilson's direction across the Atlantic
from the port of Rotterdam. He was a young man of 17 years old from
Paltz, Germany. He already had a young family back in Germany, a
daughter named Gertrude (Hakrood) and his wife. He wanted to make
a new home for his family in this new America, in the area of Pennyslvania.
He was in the area of Germantown when he sent for his family in 1745.
The first child of his family born in America was George Everhart on August
11, 1745. Two other daughters were born during the late 1740's.
By 1750 Paulus had purchased 300 acres of land in Bachman's Valley (what
is Carroll County now) in Maryland. He found a good source of water
in a nearby spring and that is where he first built a small house and later
a much larger home for his family. He worked the land as a farmer
and made a good living from it. But Paulus died before May of 1765
and the responsible of the land was turned over to his son, George.
GEORGE
EVERHART was first a carpenter for five years in Baltimore City.
After his father's death he inherited his father's estate and ran the farm.
The land was rich in iron ore and this helped developed the farm
area around Bachman's Valley. At the time the land was
referred to as a "plantation" with part of it in Baltimore County and part
in Frederick County. The land was also next to land held by Jacob
Bixler. He was a church member of the German Church (Zion Church)
that was established in Manchester. George married Eva Elizabeth
Zacharias in 1770. They had six children all raised at what was called
the "Old Homestead", the farm. Their first born was their son, George
Everhart, Jr., born November 10, 1771. When many American's
wanted to break from British rule in 1776, George, Sr. joined the cause.
He served as a 2nd Lt. with the Maryland forces during the American Revolution.
George made it back from the warfare to live a very long life until 1835.
He had witnessed many changes in the Manchester area over his 89 plus years.
GEORGE
EVERHART, JR. married Elizabeth Weaver in 1796. They continued
on the Homestead farm and worked alongside George, Sr. It was George,
Jr. who added lime to the soil then fertilzer to enrich the soil.
They had nine children (4 sons and 5 daughters). They had three negro
servants to assist, they were Henry Williams and Jesse Williams (who
were given their freedom after George's death) and Charlotte Williams (who
was freed after Elizabeth's death). The first son born was Jacob
Everhart on June 6, 1797. George, Jr. was the first elected commissioner
for the newly formed city of Manchester, Maryland in 1834. He served
as one of their leading citizens until his death in 1854. Elizabeth
lived until 1868 but was blind the last 11 years of her life.
JACOB
EVERHART took on a different occupation than his father and
grandfather before him. After marrying Elizabeth Born in 1821 and
starting his family of seven children. He first moved to a farm owned
by Conrad Kerlinger located about 4 miles NE of Manchester. Later
he purchased a farm near Bachman's Valley and worked the farm for two years.
He then moved his family to Reisterstown, Maryland (16 miles north of Baltimore)
to start a hotel for travelers who were in route on the turnpike from Chambersburg
and Cartisle, Pennsylvania. His wife, Elizabeth, died in late 1840.
With young children still at home he remarried in late 1841 to Elizabeth
Christ. Another child, Julie, was born to Jacob and his new wife.
They moved to Blue Ball, which was north of Reisterstown and lived there
for two years. Then in 1843 he moved to Westminister, Maryland on
East Main Street and had his hotel there for seven years. In 1850
he was in Carrollton, Maryland for two years before permanently returning
to Reisterstown. Both of his living sons, George W. Everhart
and Samuel P. Everhart were interested in being "husksters"-selling merchandise.
Jacob died in 1872 in Reisterstown and was buried in Manchester.
GEORGE
WASHINGTON EVERHART was the second son, born in 1835 and set out
to have a different lifestyle. From 1841 to 1852 (after his mother
died) he went to live with his grandfather, George Everhart, Jr.
He learned to be a shoemaker from his uncle, John Everhart. He was
a shoemaker for many years. George found it a very difficult occupation
on his health so he found his calling as a huckster. He mostly sold
agricultural farm implements between Adams County in Pennsylvania to York
County down to Baltimore County in Maryland. He made his home in
Manchester and married Rachel W. Frankforter on September 4, 1859.
They produced a family of nine children (5 sons and 4 daughters) with two
of the children dying as infants. Charles Jacob Everhart was born
September 10, 1862, the 2nd son of George and Rachel. The 1861 -
1865 timeframe was a difficult one in Maryland with war surrounding them.
The Everharts were on the Union side and saw their share of rebel soldiers
in Maryland. George W. Everhart was a member of the Immaneual Lutheran
Church in Manchester for many years. He continued selling farm products
until about 1895 when he retired. He remained in Manchester until
his death in 1914.
CHARLES
JACOB EVERHART lived in Manchester, Lewistown and Frederick, Maryland
over his 94 years. He married a girl from the city of Frederick,
Josephine (Josie) S. Groff around 1889. His occupation was that of
cigarmaker. He and Josie had only one child, David Groff Everhart,
born September 8, 1890 in Manchester. After the turn of the new century,
Charles moved his family to Lewistown to a small farm for several years.
Years later (about 1919)Charles and Josie moved in with their grown son, David, and
his family in Frederick. Even after Josie died in 1942, Charles was
cared for my his family members. He died in 1956 in Frederick with
two grandchildren and three great grandchildren.
DAVID
GROFF EVERHART went to college and then to dental school.
He became a dentist in Manchester in 1910. He married his childhood
sweetheart, Eva Savilla Bixler on November 23, 1911 in Manchester.
Their first child was David Groff Everhart, Jr., born in 1912. The
next year the family moved to Frederick where David established is dental
practice. They had a daughter, Nannie Musselman Everhart on August
9, 1915 in Frederick. With the United States drawn into the war in
Europe in 1918, David, Sr. enlisted in the US Army and served as a captain
with the dental corp. He was stationed mostly along the east coast
and was never sent overseas. This way his family was able to join
him at his different assignments. After the war the family purchased
a large home at 926 North Market Street in Frederick. The house was
named "Alhambra". David was very involved in community affairs in
Frederick and a leader in the Republican Party in the county. He
saw that his two children received a college education, David, Jr. as a
dentist and Nannie as an attorney. He took care of his parents in
his home from the mid-1920's until his mother's death in 1942. David's
wife, Eva, died very young, age 49 years, due to kidney problems
in 1940. He remarried about 1941 to Eleanor Linthicum. But
David died suddenly of a heart attack/stroke in December 1944 and was buried
in Arlington National Cemetery.
NANNIE
MUSSELMAN EVERHART, changed her first name to NAN after both of
her parents had passed away. She was given a very good formal education,
especially for women in the 1930's. She received her law degree from
Eastern University, Mt. Vernon School of Law in 1941. She tried to
be accepted as a female FBI agent but was refused by J. Edgar Hoover.
Nan ran for the Maryland State Legislature and lost by a narrow margin.
But with the outbreak of World War II she found her calling in the Women's
Army Corp. (1942-1949). She married Capt. Harry Kershaw,
USAF in April 1949 and they both left the military. She was a housewife
and mother of four during the 1950's. In 1960 she reentered the work
force and became the Admissions Supervisor at Miami-Dade Jr. College in
Florida. She retired in 1972 with Harry to Floral City, Florida.
They celebrated their 25th anniversary by renewing their vows in front
of friends and family in April, 1974. Harry died in May of 1978 and
it took Nan several years to move on after his death. She became
active in veteran organizations and The Women's Military Memorial in Arlington,
Va. until her death (heart condition) on July 10, 1994. Nan was buried
alongside her father, David G. Everhart, Sr. in Arlington National Cemetery
with full military honors on July 25, 1994. In her 78
plus years she received a law degree, ran for political office, applied
to the FBI, served in the military, helped at the Nuremberg Trials in Germany,
was a mother, housewife, college administrator, and a grandmother.

There are many Everhart families across America. Our one branch, starting
with Paulus Eberhardt in 1744, made their mark on the history of Maryland.
There are not as many present day descendents but the contribution of the
ancestors is forever.